Circa Survive has long been attributed as the founders of today’s “progressive rock” movement. Even though many bands have gone on to expand upon and nearly perfect the style that Circa Survive attempted to achieve, Circa always seemed destined to create that one record that would be a masterpiece.

If you know of Circa Survive, then you obliviously know their vocalist, Anthony Green. Green is easily the most popular vocalist amongst the indie-rock scene, first gaining recognition as the lead vocalist on Saosin’s debut E.P. “Translating the Name.”
Green’s breathtakingly good performance gave Saosin instant critical acclaim and the E.P. spread feverishly throughout the Internet.
Despite Saosin’s success, Green surprisingly left the band and went on to create Circa Survive.
It’s debut release “Juturna” and follow-up “On Letting Go” showed potential and quickly gained popularity as many Saosin fans transferred their attention to Green’s newer endeavors.
However, for every great song Circa Survive created; there were two forgettable ones, leaving a lot of listeners let down.
So with fans still holding onto the hopes that Green and company will finally create their masterpiece, Circa Survive releases its next attempt “Blue Sky Noise.”
With major label, Atlantic Records backing the band, many fans were afraid that Circa Survive was destined to fade away into obscurity like Green’s earlier band Saosin did after  it signed to a major label.
Amazingly though; on “Blue Sky Noise,” Circa’s sound remains intact as it blends a more straightforward and focused rock sound with the ambient guitar work and soothing vocals it’s known for.
The production quality is top-notch, creating huge walls of sound while letting each instrument remain clear and articulate.
The album’s two opening tracks, “Strange Terrain” and the first single “Get Out,” are fantastic one-two punches that are instantly interesting and catchy. The two tracks flow perfectly into one another and are perfect complements.
Green transitions from lively and relaxed to aggressive and in-your-face effortlessly giving the listener chills as he screams “get out” with everything he’s got.
The momentum carries over smoothly into the next track “Glass Arrows.” This song sounds similar to older Circa records and is the closest “Blue Sky Noise” will get to it. The album is so impressive at this point that it is sad to hear what happens.
At around 2:17 into “Glass Arrows,” what could possibly be the worst transition in musical history happens. Listeners start to hear high-pitched voices screaming along with a drumbeat reminiscent of war drums.
The music that happens is so odd and unnecessary that it kills every ounce of momentum created. “Blue Sky Noise” never fully recovers from this misfortune, as the following tracks fail to stand up and assert themselves from the others.
The next three tracks “I Felt Free,” “Imaginary Enemy” and “Through the Desert Alone” are listenable, but seem to desperately have a need to showcase a huge, livid chorus that is so obnoxiously catchy that it fails to stick with the listener.
Not to say that the singing or that the melodies are too blame, Anthony Green is a fantastic singer, but that the production has abused the common fad of layering the vocals.
How can the listener get a personal connection to a vocalist when there are four different voices layered upon each other simultaneously?
“Get Out” is the album’s best track because you can actually get a sense of the emotion in Green’s voice, as it has almost no vocal layering. The most interesting track on the second half of the album is the instrumental track “Compendium.”
Circa has always had top-notch musicianship, though normally out shadowed by their vocalist; they show here that they have stepped up their game.
“Compendium” creates a great climax that is sadly let down by the lackluster closing track “Dyed in the Wool,” which is only slightly interesting due to the gang vocals used in the chorus.
It’s seems as though  fans will have to keep waiting on Circa Survive’s masterpiece. After listening to “Blue Sky Noise,” the scene may realize that Green may not be worth all the praise he gets.